Page 26 of These Monstrous Ties

What. The. Fuck.

I look to Lucifer. He’s still staring at me. I look at Ria. Her eyes are wide, too, and her brown skin has grown pale. Okay, so at least I’m not the only one flipping out here.

Ezra holds the blade out, full of his blood, to the redhead.

My stomach churns.

The redhead seems confused, her brows pulling together.

“Open your mouth,” Ezra commands her.

Don’t do it,I think. But I can’t find the words to actually say it.

She opens her mouth, sticks out her tongue. Ezra runs the flat edge of the blade around it and even though I want to, I can’t look away. I can’t even blink.

Ezra smiles, then he grabs her by the back of the head, moves the knife away, and forces her mouth to his bleeding wound.

Hesitantly, she licks the blood. Ezra almost groans, and she gets more confident in her blood sucking abilities.

I’m aware that outside the door at my back, there are probably still partygoers hanging out, wondering what’s going to become of the five girls that went inside. I’m aware that if I scream really loudly, they’ll hear me.

Maybe one of them will call the police.

Or maybe no one will.

And it’s that dread that keeps my mouth closed. It’s thinking that maybe those partygoersknowwhat’s happening here.

When I force myself to look away, Lucifer is standing over me, and he has a knife too. I notice all the Unsaints are standing over their girls. I stare at Lucifer’s extended hand toward me. Okay, so maybe not everyone gets to drink the blood of the Unsaints…

Beside me, the redhead is still lapping up blood and Ezra groans again.

I want to get out of here. I take Lucifer’s hand, and he pulls me to my feet. I keep watching the knife. Thankfully, he puts it in his back pocket.

Ezra breaks out of his trance long enough to mutter to all the guys, “Nothing happens until the blood comes out.”

Lucifer nods, and then he leads me down the hallway, tugging me away from whatever fuckery is happening at my back.

The only thing I can think to ask is, “Why did we have to get on our knees?”

He glances at me, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile. “Subservience,” he purrs.

I stop walking right as we come to the end of the hall and a closed metal door.

I yank out of his hand.

“Lucifer…”

He looks at me as he slides his hands into his pockets. He cocks his head. “Yes, Lilith?”

“What is happening right now? What is this shit?”

He takes a step closer to me, frowning. “My friends and I,” he begins, “we’re into some weird shit.”

I don’t know what to say to that besides, “I know.”

He wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me gently into him. “Don’t run Lilith,” he whispers against my ear.

I don’t know why I ask my next question. Maybe it’s the vodka. Maybe it’s the rum I had before I left my apartment. Maybe it’s because I’m in a psych ward and I feel like I’ve lost my goddamn mind.